CHAPTER FORTY SIX.
CHARGED BY "MUCHOCHOS."
All eyes were instantly turned in the direction whence came the "skreek"of the bird, and there, sure enough, were a brace of rhinoceroses of thebiggest kind. They were just entering the little glen, through the gapbefore mentioned; and were coming down the channel of the river,plunging through the water as they walked knee-deep.
The superior size of their bodies, as well as their colour, told theywere white rhinoceroses; and the long horn upon the snout, pointingslightly backward instead of forward, showed they were of that speciesknown among the natives as "muchocho," and among naturalists as_Rhinoceros simus_.
The other species of white rhinoceros is the "kobaoba," lately named_Rhinoceros Oswellii_; although in my opinion it should have been_Rhinoceros Cummingii_--since the great lion-hunter was not only thefirst to give any definite characteristics of this rare species, butmore than any other man has he contributed to a knowledge of the SouthAfrican _fauna_.
The principal distinction between the kobaoba and muchocho is observedin the set and size of the horns. In neither species is the posteriorhorn any thing more than a conical knob of six or seven inches inlength; but in each the anterior horn is very long--far exceeding thatof the black rhinoceroses. In the kobaoba, this horn sometimes reachesto the enormous length of four feet, and even exceeds that measurement;while in the muchocho, three feet is the limit. In the former the hornprojects forward, standing at an angle of forty-five degrees with theline of the snout; whereas that of the muchocho is erect, with a slightcurve or sweep backwards.
Both species far exceed in size the two kinds of black rhinoceros, andare fully equal to their great Asiatic congener--he with the curiousshield-like skin, so well known in picture-books, museums, andzoological gardens. In other words, the white rhinoceroses of SouthAfrica are in point of magnitude, after the elephant, the largestquadrupeds in the world. In point of habits they differ altogether fromthe black species. They are grass-feeders, as the shape of their muzzletestifies; while the black kinds browse upon various kinds of shrubs andacacia thorns, and are furnished with a prehensile lip for the purposeof more easily grasping the twigs and branches.
As has been elsewhere observed, in disposition the two kinds are alsovery different. The black rhinoceroses--both "borele" and "keitloa"--are of an extremely vicious and malignant nature, and more dangerouseven than the lion. They are swift of foot; and, but for theirdefective powers of vision, it would be a perilous thing to approachthem. The white species, on the contrary, are slow, and less disposedto make an attack upon man. When these are wounded, or are accompaniedby their young, the case is different. They then exhibit all theferocity of their race; and many a native hunter has fallen a victim tothe rage of both the kobaoba and muchocho.
The flesh of the two last-named species is excellent eating--beingalmost as good as fresh pork. It is not so with the flesh of the blackrhinoceros, which is strong, rancid, and bitter.
Now, knowing the general disposition of the "muchochos," and knowingalso the delicate flesh which these animals afford to the hunter, ouryoung yagers at seeing them lost all sense of alarm. They at oncerushed to their guns, and commenced preparing to receive the advancingquadrupeds. Had it been boreles or keitloas, they would have acteddifferently; and would, perhaps, have thought only of flying to theirhorses, or of ensconcing themselves in the wagons. Of whiterhinoceroses, however, they had no fear; and having armed themselves,they advanced boldly and openly to the conflict.
By this time the muchochos had got fairly through the pass; and,climbing out of the river-channel, stood up on the grassy sward of themeadow. Their naked bodies, thus fully exposed to view, appeared ofenormous size. One, however, was much bigger than the other--in fact,quite as large as a female elephant--for it was full sixteen feet inlength from the tip of its long blunt snout to the "whisk" upon the topof its short tail.
But what caused astonishment to the advancing hunters was the fact, thatinstead of the two of these animals which they had already seen, threenow appeared upon the bank. The third, however, was not larger than anordinary hog; and, excepting that its snout wanted the characteristichorn, it might have passed for a miniature of the other two. Small asit was, there was no mistaking it for any other animal than arhinoceros; and its size as well as actions showed that it was theyoung, or "calf," of the two old ones, that were respectively its maleand female parent.
The hunters were delighted with this new discovery. The flesh of theyoung white rhinoceros is much more delicate and tender than that of thefull-grown ones; and all of them, but particularly Swartboy and Congo,now indulged in the anticipation of a rare treat.
No one thought of the increased danger of their thus attacking therhinoceros in company with its young. That was forgotten in the hurryand excitement of the moment. The prudent Hans alone had somemisgivings; but carried away by the enthusiasm of his companions, hefailed to make them known. In ten seconds afterwards a volley ofreports rang through the little glen; and by that same volley a showerof bullets--varying in size from the large ounce-ball of theelephant-gun to the small pea of the rifle--was poured upon themuchochos.
The only visible effect produced upon the animals was to cause themsuddenly to change their gait, from the slow waddle at which they hadbeen advancing, to a brisk rapid gallop, which was directed preciselytoward the spot where the hunters were standing! At the same time thehuge animals were heard to snort and blow like porpoises; and thesparkling of their small eyes, the quick lashing of their saucy tails,and the long horns set horizontally, showed that they were chargingforward in the full bent of their fury. The "calf" followed in therear, imitating the noise and actions of its ponderous parents.
This to the hunters was a movement wholly unexpected. Had it beenborele or keitloa there would have been nothing strange in it. On thecontrary, it was just as either of the black rhinoceroses would haveacted. But from muchocho--usually so harmless as to be called cowardlyand stupid--an attack of this nature was quite unlooked for. The reportof a gun, or even the barking of a dog, will usually put the muchocho toflight.
But our yagers had not reasoned correctly when they expected theseeither to fall to their shots, or take to instant flight. _They hadforgotten the presence of the calf_. That it was which caused the whiterhinoceroses to act upon this occasion contrary to their usual habit--that, and perhaps the wounds they had received--for several of thebullets, although not fatal, had made painful wounds. So much theworse.
Of course, none of the young yagers stood their ground to receive thisheavy charge. Their guns were now empty, and it would have been of nouse. On the contrary, each and every one of them turned instanter; andno mischievous urchin ever ran faster from a parish beadle than did allsix of them towards the camp. The tails of their coats made aconsiderable angle with the line of their backs, as they "sloped" acrossthe level sward of that little meadow.
The short thick Bushman and the tall lank Kaffir--both of whom had goneforth to the attack--were not a bit behind in the retreat; and the wholeeight were mingled together in such a helter-skelter pell-mell race, ashad never before been witnessed in that silent and solitary glen.